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Hamilton program teaches Utah students history, civic engagement

Lin-Manuel Miranda takes final 'Hamilton' bow

One last time, 'Hamilton' creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with Leslie Odom Jr. (Aaron Burr) and Phillipa Soo (Eliza Schuyler Hamilton) took a bow on the stage of the Richard Rogers Theatre. Scroll through to see photos from their emotional curtain call.
Evan Agostini, Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Lin-Manuel Miranda takes final 'Hamilton' bow

The final bow...
Evan Agostini, Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Lin-Manuel Miranda takes final 'Hamilton' bow

Miranda was moved by the audience and cast response.
Nicholas Hunt, Getty Images

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Lin-Manuel Miranda takes final 'Hamilton' bow

One last time, 'Hamilton' creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with Leslie Odom Jr. (Aaron Burr) and Phillipa Soo (Eliza Schuyler Hamilton) took a bow on the stage of the Richard Rogers Theatre. Scroll through to see photos from their emotional curtain call.

Students in Washington and Iron counties traveled to Salt Lake City this week to see a special performance of the hit Broadway show "Hamilton" — some with a special invitation from their legislators.

The Hamilton Education Program, created by the Gilder Lehrman Institute and "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, is a national educational initiative in which students are given the opportunity to see the show live and learn a special curriculum integrated into their classrooms.

The program was designed to engage students from high-minority or low-income areas, said Josh Loftin of the Utah Department of Heritage and Arts.

"It was written in a way that connects with kids today; it's more contemporary and also gives them a chance to see a Broadway show," Loftin said.

Forty schools in Utah participated, including several from Washington and Iron counties.

Broadway show part of the lesson

Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of “Hamilton” performed at the Tony Awards at the Beacon Theatre in New York. In April, “Hamilton” won the Pulitzer for drama and current Treasury Secretary Jack Lew reversed a plan to bump Hamilton from the $10 after fans kick up a fuss.(Photo: File/Invision/AP)

"Hamilton" is an American musical written by Miranda, based on the book "Alexander Hamilton" by Ron Chernow. Hamilton was an author of the Federalist papers and the nation's first treasury secretary; he was famously killed in a duel. The show incorporates several music genres and has been widely acclaimed for casting non-white actors to portray some of the Founding Fathers.

Local organizers then film the performances, a half-dozen of which are chosen to be performed at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City, Loftin said. These students will have a question-and-answer session with the cast and see a matinee performance of "Hamilton."

"I talked to some students who have been listening to the 'Hamilton' soundtrack since it came out, while some said they haven't heard of it," Loftin said. "They fell in love with this."

The New Nation Program

Similar to the Hamilton Education Project, the New Nation Program was designed for students to watch the Broadway smash with an elected official from their area. Around 300 students from Utah will participate, and two students are typically paired with one official.

In order to qualify for the program, students were asked to write a letter to a local legislator of their choice about an issue they have identified in their communities.

"The goal was civic engagement and to get students to understand it," Loftin said.

Students are chosen through a random drawing, and Loftin said that is "very intentional." He said it's not about which students can write the most eloquently or win an essay contest — it's about getting them involved and letting them know they have a voice.

"Even through most of them aren't old enough to vote yet, they still have a voice," he said.

From left, Rep. Walt Brooks and Harvey Beacham of Cedar City High School(Photo: Stephanie Dunn / For The Spectrum & Daily News)

One student, Elizabeth Farringer from Dixie High School, wrote her letter to Rep. Angela Romero, asking for gender-neutral bathrooms for people who identify as transgender.

In her letter, she cited statistics that show people who are transgender are at a higher risk for suicide and sexual abuse.

Cedar High School student Harvey Beacham wrote about the lack of support and recognition law-enforcement officials receive.

"It is important for the public to be made more aware of the difficult occupation that police officers fulfill," Beacham wrote. "In this effort, it would be beneficial if positive stories of police department’s were spread in place of the bad."

Loftin said that although students learn how to engage with their elected officials and learn more about Hamilton's biography, there's a deeper educational value in bringing these two programs to Utah.

"There's a huge value of music and art and what affect it can have on education in learning history or anything else," Loftin said. "This creates a much richer educational experience."